Gas services units are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,962 discloses a prior art gas services unit. Gas services units typically provide gas related services, such as compressed air, oxygen and vacuum, to rooms in health care facilities. A gas services unit typically includes an outer shell or housing that is secured into a recess in a wall. Gas service devices, such as gas flow meters and vacuum control boxes, are housed within the shell of a gas services unit. The gas service devices are in fluid communication with remotely located gas and vacuum reserves by way of fluid conduits. A gas services unit may also include a cover, such as a picture or the like, that can be moved to alternately cover and provide access to the gas service devices therein. It is believed that by covering the gas service devices, a room in a heath care facility appears more comfortable to patients.
With conventional wall construction, the depth of the recesses that receive gas services units is limited. Therefore, a gas service device must be rotated out of its gas services unit when in use, and rotated into the gas services unit when not in use so that it can be covered. The rotating is typically facilitated by swiveling fluid connectors. An example of a prior art swiveling fluid connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,962.
It is extremely important that swiveling fluid connectors in gas services units not leak, even after many pivot cycles. For example, oxygen leaking from a swiveling fluid connector in a gas services unit is a fire hazard. It is believed that prior swiveling fluid connectors might be susceptible to leakage after many pivot cycles. Further, prior swiveling fluid connectors must be disassembled to inspect components thereof that are critical to leak-tightness.
Thus, a need exists for new and improved swiveling fluid connectors of the type acceptable for use in gas services units.